Rodgers is one of the greatest draft picks in team history and possibly the history of the entire league. A best-player-available gamble with a future Hall of Famer and franchise icon entrenched at quarterback, Thompson's drafting of Rodgers eventually paid off handsomely. He's now an elite quarterback with a Super Bowl ring and a league MVP award. And remember, this was Thompson's first ever pick as the Packers general manger. It took an unwavering commitment to his drafting principles, master planning and rare guts to pull it off. Matthews was a home run pick after Thompson traded back into the first round in 2009. Hawk has never been a dominant player, but he's given Green Bay eight strong years.

No round has Thompson been more ruthlessly effective than in the second, where he's consistently selected game-changing players at incredible value. Jennings, who finished his Packers career ranked seventh in receptions and receiving yards in team history, gets the nod here as Thompson's best ever second-rounder. It's a dubious distinction, yet Nelson, Cobb and Lacy may all pass him one day. Nelson is rock-solid, Cobb is one of the game's unique receiving talents and Lacy is a bulldozer who established himself as a top-8 running back in his rookie year. Collins had Hall of Fame potential before a freak neck injury ended his career.

Thompson has only made seven picks in the third round since 2005, his lowest of any round. The results have been mixed. Jones wins the round. He caught 310 passes for 4,305 yards and 37 scores over seven years, progressing from a fourth or fifth option to a main target with relative ease. His 14 touchdowns in 2012 led the league. Finley's career had limitless potential, but injuries and inconsistency have dogged him throughout his six years. A free agent coming off a major neck injury, he might be done in Green Bay. Burnett looked like a rising star at safety but regressed sharply in 2013.

Thompson has selected five offensive linemen in the fourth round, with Sitton the jewel of the group. He's an All-Pro guard and a line stalwart (80 career starts), capable of playing left or right guard. He should play in more Pro Bowls before he's done. Lang found a home at guard and has now made 50 starts. Tough and dependable, he forms a strong combo inside with Sitton. Daniels is a rolling ball of butcher knives. Seemingly miscast in the 3-4, he's developed into Green Bay's best interior rusher since Cullen Jenkins.

Not the strongest round for Thompson, despite him taking 14 total players (second most). You could make the argument for either Newhouse or Quarless, two picks from the 2010 draft. In the end, Newhouse has made 31 career starts—including 13 for Green Bay's record setting offense in 2011—while Quarless only has 15. That number could rise in 2014. When it's all said and done, Hyde might turn out as one of Thompson's better values. He's a poor man's Charles Woodson, and the Packers coaching staff is expected to entrust him with more snaps and responsibility as a second-year player.

Thompson has found some nice players with his 13 sixth-round picks. You really couldn't go wrong with Bishop, Jolly, Crosby or Starks. Bishop made 27 starts at inside linebacker and was emerging as one of the NFL's true thumpers before injury struck. Jolly has been effective over 47 starts, but his career is marred by a three-year prison stint. Crosby set an NFL record with 762 points during his first six seasons, and he's now only 151 points behind Ryan Longwell's franchise scoring record. Starks helped the Packers win a Super Bowl in 2010 and then produced a career-best season as a backup to Eddie Lacy last season.

Thompson loves his seventh-rounders, having selected 16 players in the final round since 2005. Even with all the swings, his success rate is low. That said, Flynn has produced some big moments as a backup quarterback—including a near win at New England in 2010, a record-breaking win over the Lions to end 2011 and a season-saving recovery job over five games in 2013. Versatile and willing, Jones has made 35 starts and tallied 10 career sacks at linebacker. Wilson stuck around for four years and made 11 starts despite being the 230th player picked in 2010.

Zach Kruse is a 25-year-old sports writer who contributes to Cheesehead TV and is the Lead Writer for the NFC North at Bleacher Report. You can reach him on Twitter @zachkruse2 or by email at [email protected].

I would trade ted thompson for cow as gm, then we will be in the superbowl every year for the rest of aaron rodgers career. No more draft pick busts. I love that idea. Perfection is something everyone should desire and anything less is a miserable failure. Go cow.

But, he was signed by the Texans as a UDFA rather than drafted, and released at final roster cuts, which is when TT signed him. Since he wasn't drafted and never actually played a regular season game for Houston, I'd still consider him a UDFA signing by GB -- as opposed to a UFA. Semantics, I guess.

Anyway, we won't know for sure which was the better signing between him and Shields for a few years, but right now I think you gotta give it to Williams based on body of work. But they certainly are #1 and #1A as it currently stands.

Good call icky, a fourth round pick to start every game at left tackle is probobly one of the best values so far. Zach should apologize for leaving him out. Sure he is not the best but after his rookie season it appears his arrow is pointing up. He was not responsible for rodgers missing games, infact when smith beat him in the playoff game he smacked him in the head rather than let him run free to rodgers. He drew a flag but still protected rodgers. I don't think mccarthy was on his ass for that play.

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